ClearLight Biotechnologies to Present Data on the Multi-Sample Automation and 3D Analysis of CLARITY Processed Tissue
SUNNYVALE, Calif., March 29, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- ClearLight Biotechnologies, LLC (formerly known as ClearLight Diagnostics, LLC) a developer of an automated next generation tissue processing and 3D image analysis platform, announced today that it will present data at the 2019 American Association for Cancer Research meeting in Atlanta, Georgia.
Poster Title: Multi-sample automation of the CLARITY technology for the processing of 3D volumes of tissue
Authors: Sharla L. White, Yi Chen, Qi Shen, Laurie J. Goodman
The current technologies utilized for preclinical and clinical drug development in cancer is largely dependent upon the 2-dimensional (2D) analysis of thin Formalin-Fixed Paraffin-Embedded (FFPE) tissue sections (5-10 µm). However, the importance of understanding cellular phenotypic information combined with three-dimensional (3D) spatial analysis of tissues has recently evolved. In recent years, several clearing techniques, such as CLARITY, have been developed and modified as a means to image and evaluate these volumetric tissues. Most of these techniques have employed chemical approaches to improve tissue clearing, while inadvertently affecting the tissue integrity on a macroscopic or microscopic level. Our previous work with CLARITY has demonstrated how the tissue-hydrogel matrix (HM) is able to maintain its structural integrity overall. Yet, some of the most noted caveats to employing this technique has been the lengthy processing times, and the lack of robust 3D spatial analysis software. We sought to address these issues through the development of an automated clearing and staining platform for CLARITY processed tissues with a proprietary 3D image analysis employing artificial intelligence and machine learning techniques. All experiments were performed with the CLARITY technique using HM-embedded tissues that were cleared with a SDS/borate clearing buffer. Evaluation of the clearing module was assessed using a passive staining (diffusion-based) approach before sample imaging. The effectiveness of the staining module was assessed using passively cleared tissues that were "actively" stained using the developed respective module, followed by standard imaging. The imaging data was then uploaded into our proprietary 3D software for segmentation, classification, and quantitative spatial analysis. We were able to demonstrate successful clearing and staining in both normal and cancerous tissue samples in a total time of less than one day. Consistent results are obtained for both fresh and formalin-fixed tissues. This was a significant reduction in the time associated with the standard passive clearing and staining procedure. In short, the development of our end-to-end multi-sample clearing and staining platform not only removes the laborious sectioning and sample registration for sample reconstruction, but also maintains the benefits of multiple interrogation of a single sample. Although volumetric clearing and 3D analysis are still in their infancy from a technology perspective, one tissue sample using these novel approaches provides as much volumetric information as 200 FFPE sections, while also maintaining key spatial information.
Abstract Number #4690
Session Category: Tumor Biology
Session Title: Tumor Evolution and Heterogeneity 3
Session Date and Time: Wednesday Apr 3, 2019 8:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Location: Georgia World Congress Center, Exhibit Hall B, Poster Section 9
Poster Board Number: 3
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About ClearLight
Founded by Karl Deisseroth M.D., Ph.D., ClearLight is developing an automated instrumentation platform based on the CLARITY lipid-clearing technique developed by Dr. Deisseroth and colleagues at Stanford University. This technique enables the transformation of tissue into a nanoporous, hydrogel-hybridized form that is crosslinked to a three-dimensional network of hydrophilic polymers. The process produces a fully assembled, intact tissue, which is permeable to macromolecules and optically transparent, thus allowing for robust three-dimensional imaging of subcellular components (DNA, RNA and protein) and analysis of heterogeneous cellular interactions within the microenvironment of a tissue. This technology, paired with proprietary 3D image analysis software, will enable more accurate analysis and assessment of normal and diseased tissue.
Visit us: www.clearlightbiotechnologies.com
Media Contact:
Laurie Goodman, Ph.D., CEO
[email protected]
(800) 251-8905
SOURCE ClearLight Biotechnologies, LLC
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